Compressed fiber optic cable

Abstract

A fiber optical cable for conducting light along its length. The cable is composed of a plurality of transparent polymer fibers. The fibers are formed by drawing the heated viscous polymer from an orifice. In pulling the softened fiber, the polymer molecules become aligned parallel to the sides of the polymer fiber. A surface coating of a lower refractive index transparent polymer is applied. The optical fibers are arranged in the desired order and heated and softened. Pressure is applied against the sides of the heated and softened fiber optic cable compressing the round polymer optical fibers to form fibers having flat sided geometric shapes to eliminate the open spaces and voids between the optical fibers.

I claim: 
     
       1. A fiber cable for conducting light along its length composed of a plurality of round transparent core polymer fibers formed by rapidly drawing the heated viscous core polymer from an orifice and allowing the polymer molecules to become aligned parallel to the sides of the core polymer fiber, a surface coating of a crosslinked lower refractive index transparent polymer having a higher softening temperature covers the outer surface of the optical fiber, the optical fibers are heated and the core polymer is softened, the lower refractive index crosslinked coating is not softened, pressure is applied against the sides of the heated fiber optic cable compressing and deforming the round polymer optical fibers to form fibers having flat sided geometric shapes. 
     
     
       2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein each compressed fiber has six sides. 
     
     
       3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the core high refractive index fiber is polystrene. 
     
     
       4. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the lower refractive index coating is polymethylmethacrylate. 
     
     
       5. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the optical fibers are coated with a lower refractive index material by withdrawing the fiber from a liquid low refractive index monomer and allowing the film of low refractive index liquid monomer present on the surface of the high refractive index fiber to polymerize, thereby, coating the high refractive index fiber with a low refractive index polymer. 
     
     
       6. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the high refractive index core fiber has a diameter of from 100 to 500 microns. 
     
     
       7. A fiber optical cable capable of conducting light along its length composed of round transparent high refractive index optical fibers each having been coated with a liquid monomer a containing liquid crosslinker, the liquid monomer is polymerized in the presence of ultra violet light to form a solid coating of lower refractive index crosslinked transparent material having a high softening temperature, the cable of optical fibers is heated to soften the transparent optical fiber, the crosslinked coating is not softened, and pressure is applied against the sides of the heated fiber optic cable to compress and deform the round optical fibers to flat sided geometric shapes. 
     
     
       8. The subject matter of claim 7 wherein each compressed fiber has six sides. 
     
     
       9. The subject matter of claim 7 wherein the core high refractive index fiber is a styrene polymer. 
     
     
       10. The subject matter of claim 7 wherein the lower refractive index coating is a methylmethacrylate polymer. 
     
     
       11. The subject matter of claim 7 wherein the optical fibers are coated with a lower refractive index material by withdrawing the fiber from a liquid low refractive index monomer and allowing the film of low refractive index liquid monomer present on the surface of the high refractive index fiber to polymerize, thereby, coating the high refractive index fiber with a low refractive index polymer. 
     
     
       12. The subject matter of claim 7 wherein the high refractive index core fiber has a diameter of from 100 to 500 microns. 
     
     
       13. A fiber cable for conducting light along its length composed of a plurality of round transparent styrene polymer fibers formed by rapidly drawing the heated viscous styrene polymer from an orifice and allowing the polymer molecules to become aligned parallel to the sides of the styrene polymer fiber, a surface coating of a crosslinked lower refractive index transparent polymer having a higher softening temperature covers the outer surface of the optical fiber, the optical fibers are heated and the styrene polymer is softened, the low refractive index crosslinked coating is not softened, pressure is applied against the sides of the heated fiber optic cable compressing and deforming the round polymer optical fibers to form fibers having flat sided geometric shapes the compressed fiber optic cable is joined to a like fiber optic cable by cementing the ends of the fiber optic cables to sides of a flat styrene connector plate. 
     
     
       14. The subject matter of claim 13 wherein each compressed fiber has six sides. 
     
     
       15. The subject matter of claim 13 wherein the lower refractive index coating is a methylmethacrylate polymer. 
     
     
       16. The subject matter of claim 13 wherein the optical fibers are coated with a lower refractive index material by withdrawing the fiber from a liquid low refractive index monomer and allowing the film of low refractive index liquid monomer present on the surface of the high refractive index fiber to polymerize, thereby, coating the high refractive index fiber with a low refractive index polymer.